1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the field of poles, such as poles configured for use during skiing, as well as for use while walking or running. In more particularity, the invention relates to a removable end piece for a pole of the aforementioned type, as well as to a pole provided with such a removable end piece.
2. Background Information
Poles adapted for skiing, walking, or running provide the user with stability, with support for the arms in order to relieve the legs, and/or with the ability to generate more push-off power, for example.
Poles of the aforementioned type typically comprise a shaft having a handle at one end and an end piece at the other end. The end piece is adapted to take support on the ground and/or to penetrate into the ground.
To optimize the effectiveness of the pole, the end piece must be adapted to the type of force that is generated and/or to the type of terrain. In the case of cross-country skiing, for example, it is advantageous to use an end piece adapted to the consistency of the snow, in particular its hardness. In the case of walking, for example, it is usually advantageous to use a metallic end piece adapted to penetrate into the ground to improve the stability of the walker. However, such metallic end pieces tend to score the rock and are forbidden in certain areas.
Furthermore, an end piece can be multi-purpose by enabling mixed winter/summer operation. In this case, because of the varying nature of the ground, the support required for the pole is not the same. Therefore, it is necessary to be able to easily change the end piece on the pole.
Therefore, poles having removable and interchangeable end pieces, to optimize their effectiveness, have been proposed.
The patent document EP 2308570 and family member U.S. Pat. No. 8,505,975 disclose a solution that provides a pole comprising a pole body receiving a locking ring and an end piece, or basket. The pole body includes a recessed portion near its lower end. The basket includes a split fastening hub receiving the pole body. The cylindrical interior of the fastening hub is provided with slight annular projections adapted to be housed in the recessed portion of the pole body when the basket is assembled to the pole body.
The locking ring is screwed onto the fastening hub of the basket so as to tighten the latter on the pole body. Accordingly, the projections are maintained in the recessed portion of the pole body. This cooperation ensures the axial retention of the basket on the pole body.
To ensure rotational connection of the two elements, the pole body comprises a transverse slot at its lower end for housing a transverse protuberance provided at the bottom of the fastening hub of the basket. This interlocking enables the basket to be indexed in relation to the pole body and to block any relative rotation between these two elements about the axis of revolution of the pole body.
Although satisfactory overall, this solution has a plurality of drawbacks. In particular, it has been found that the tightening may loosen or become insufficient during use, due to the impacts and the forces transmitted by the user. The end piece can then separate from the pole body. Similarly, a translation of the end piece can cause the end piece indexing in relation to the pole body to be lost, thereby resulting in an impediment for the supports and/or a sharp decline in the effectiveness of the pole.
To solve this problem, especially during competition, certain users adhesively attach the end piece to the pole, which prevents separation but also any subsequent interchangeability of the end piece.
Other users overly tighten the ring on the end piece to avoid accidental loosening, which often causes the ring to rupture.